I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review; however all opinions and thoughts are my own.
You can find the full review with hidden spoilers available at my blog: https://eternitybooksreview.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/arc-review-for-your-own-good-a-decent-and-twisty-thriller/


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The Characters:

Out of all the characters, I really only liked Zach. He’s literally the only likeable character, and even so, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m in the minority with liking him.

Why did I like him? He’s one of two people (the other being Courtney) who weren’t entirely messed up and he was kind of relate-able in a sense. Sure, Zach was kind of looking for trouble when he was trying to gather dirt on Teddy, and he did do wrong by bribing a guard, but it was so much easier to still like him and root for him because his intentions weren’t evil. He was just a kid who messed up but learned from the entire situation.

That’s what really made me like him. By the end of the book, I felt like he’d stepped out of his privileged perfect shell and kind of become a better person as a result of everything that happened.

I also sympathized with Courtney even if I didn’t really come to like her since she wasn’t actively there for a good portion of the story. As messed up as this sounds, I was actually kind of glad that Teddy was working to get her out of the pickle she was in.

This is what this book did to me. It made me actually glad that one person was saved at the expense of another. My morality is at stake y’all.

Since we’re already on the subject, let’s talk about Teddy and his morality.

One thing that’s been a constant between Downing’s first novel and this one, is the fact that the story is told primarily from the bad guy’s point of view. That makes you see them in a different kind of light. With Teddy, I didn’t 100% hate him, because I could see where he was coming from, no matter how messed up his thinking was. It made him more human in a sense.

Like, it’s easy to condemn a serial killer in a novel, when you’re reading it from the victim’s or the detective’s point of view. They’re just the bad evil person who’s going around and killing people for some twisted reason. And that makes it so easy to hate them and want them to be caught and punished for it.

But Downing flips that narrative around and we get to see the story from his point of view, which changes the perspective that you get.

Teddy was one hundred percent in the wrong. There is no doubt about that. What he did was horrible and terrible, no matter how much he tried to justify it. But the fact that I saw how it all unfolded from his point of view made it no longer so black and white.

This is not to say that I didn’t hate him or that I hoped he got away with it. On the contrary, I wanted justice to be properly served and it would have been so satisfying to have his righteous holier-than-everyone attitude smashed to dust. I’m just saying that Downing made his character more complex than villains in mysteries usually are.

The only other notable characters were Frank and Fallon. Frank was okay, he was very suspicious at the start of the book and it was interesting to see what happened with him. Though his role in the ending was not my favorite, but I’ll talk about that more in depth later.

Fallon on the other hand was a very interesting complication. I didn’t like her exactly, but she helped reveal and explain a lot of things, so that was helpful. I can’t really say much else without spoiling stuff.

In general, I just wanted to add that the rest of the characters weren’t so engaging. Besides Zach, Fallon, and Teddy, everyone else was like really bland and annoying and super unlikable, so I couldn’t even feel sorry for any of them. They were kind of there just to fulfill a role in the story. It didn’t make me dislike the book though because the plot made up for it, but it did bother me and I would have liked it better if the rest of the characters weren’t so flat.

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The Plot:

This was phenomenal plot-wise. I loved the twists and turns, and how messed up the whole thing was. You already know who’s behind everything but Downing still managed to pack in a bunch of unexpected twists that made this a lot less straightforward than I thought it would be.

There were also a couple of questions that added another layer of mystery, such as what happened to Teddy’s wife, that also helped to influence the plot. It makes you wonder if there is a more sinister force at play and whether everything is truly as it seems. And being the seasoned thriller/mystery reader that I am, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how exactly all those unanswered questions could potentially throw a wrench into Teddy’s plans or surprisingly change the end of the story.

However, while the plot and twists were great, the ending felt a little bit disappointing. I explain more about that below, but in general, I just wish that justice had been served in a different manner.

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Final Reflections:

This was a fun thriller with lots of twists that kept me in suspense for a good majority of the book. Not all the characters were the most interesting, but I did like the ones that stood out, and I love that Downing told the story from the killer’s perspective, rather than from the detective/private investigator’s perspective. It made the story a lot more interesting.

I think Downing is going to become one of my auto-read authors when it comes to thrillers because I’ve liked two of her books so far, and I’m really excited to try any others that she writes.

I’d highly recommend that you give her books a try, especially this one, if you want a suspenseful thriller from the killer’s point of view.

This was my first book by the widely popular Samantha Downing. I read this one in one sitting and loved it so much that I promptly went and bought her other two books! This was a 5 star read for me!

I absolutely love Samantha Downing's books. When I saw she had a knew one I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

This one was so compelling and was impossible to put down. I loveeeee how she writes in short chapters so I feel like I'm flying through the book.

Her twists are always perfect--definitely didn't see the end to this one coming!

Teddy Crutcher is the kind of character that gives off creep vibes right from the get go. Yes he won teacher of the year but this man is not your super encouraging Mr. Rogers type guy. He's a "help" students succeed at ALL
costs and God help anyone who gets on his bad side or gets in his way. This is told from multiple points of view Teddy, students, other teachers, former students. Things are just peachy as long as Teddy gets the kudos he feels he deserves but then bodies start piling up at prestigious Belmont High and people start looking a little too closely at Teddy. Very entertaining. Kept my attention throughout. This is the first book I've read by Samantha Downing so I can't compare to her other books but she definitely has a talent for writing love to hate characters.

rounded up from 4.5 stars. this was just pure fun. Downing really has a talent for taking quite sinister scenarios and characters and somehow keeping the tone lighthearted. I was hooked early and tore through this really quickly. definitely recommend for a fun fast-paced thriller!

Downing is at her best here, with this twisted tale of murder and deceit at an expensive prep school. Everyone is a suspect and they've all got secrets--Teddy, the English teacher; Zach, the over-achiever; Fallon, the new substitute. For Your Own Good feels like reading the juiciest gossip about everyone you hated back in high school.

This one, unfortunately, just wasn’t for me. I adored the writing style, as I always do with Downing, but the characters weren’t my cup of tea and the ultimate direction of the plot fell flat.

This may be my favorite of her books so far! It was engaging and kept you guessing and the elite prep school setting was a nice change from the usual husband/wife thriller dynamic. Every time I thought all of the “evil” (or morally gray at best) characters were revealed, another came out of the woodwork.

I like my thrillers to come with... well, a thrill, you know? Unfortunately, FOR YOUR OWN GOOD didn't do that for me. The author spells everything out plainly along the way, leaving very little room for the reader to feel any real sense of tension throughout. This is also told from alternating points of view, but the alternations seem a bit random, if I'm being honest, and the lack of a central character (beyond the school & the bad guy) left a bit to be desired.

“Being loved is one thing, being hated is another, but there’s nothing worse than being ignored.”
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Downing does it again. I can't help but wonder where she gets these incredible storylines from. From start to finish, "For Your Own Good" was a how?, why?, what? kind of read. What I love about this particular book was that we knew who the bad guy was from the get go. This is a favorite plot of mine because I love to see how she or he plans to get away with their devious actions.
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I am eager to see what twisted tale Downing has in store for her readers next. Her books always have so many players at play, you never know what’s going to unfold!

Samantha Dowing has been an author I keep an eye out for ever since I read My Lovely Wife. Her stories have not disappointed me yet, and For Your Own Good did not deviate from that trend. Alternating points of view fluidly unraveled a twisty plot and kept me guessing on how it would end until the last page.

This was pretty cheesy and a book about really terrible people. But the terrible people weren’t even enjoyable. They were just gross humans and annoying. Didnt love this.

This is not what I expected. The book is full of twist and turns that kept me fully involved in the story. Teddy is the headmaster of the elite boarding school, Belmont Academy. He is a little jealous of the students that attend as their parents can pay the price for their lack of appreciation for a good education. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and most are interesting and easy to remember. There are many points of view from the various characters. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have been on a kick of reading prep school mysteries, and this one was really great.
The seedy underbelly of a prestigious school and the rivalries and jealousies amongst staff and students made this one very intriguing.
The way that this one twists and turns at the end keeps you on your toes, and engaged to the last page.

As the Teacher of the Year at an elite private school, Teddy Crutcher has even bigger accomplishments in sight and he'll do anything to reach them. Samantha Downing delivers another amazing thriller, full of interesting characters and messed up morals. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

wow this was wild.

i truly did not know what to expect with this book. i read and enjoyed samantha downing's debut, my lovely wife. but i passed on her second book, he started it, because it wasn't getting the best reviews and it just didn't really seem like my thing. but when her third book (this one) came out, i was instantly intrigued. and then when it started getting fantastic reviews, i knew i needed to pick it up. and i was not disappointed at all. this was a wild ride from start to finish and i enjoyed every second of it.

i don't really know how to describe the plot of this book to you. mostly because there is a lot going on here and there are a lot characters who i would consider main characters. but the main main character is a man named teddy crutcher, who just won teacher of the year at an elite private school in new england. on the surface, teddy seems like a nice, normal man who loves his job. but as the book starts digging into him a little more, you quickly realize there is more to this man that anyone could imagine.

this book was fun, fast-paced, and just a super enjoyable read. you do have to suspend disbelief quite a bit in this one because there is just a lot going on and some of it does border on the absolutely ridiculous. but if you're able to put the plausibility aside, this is one i think anyone could enjoy. it rides the edge of cheesy and suspenseful very well. i hate when thrillers (or books in general, really) are cheesy without meaning to be. but with this book, you could tell the author was really leaning into it and i loved that.

the best part of this book for me was the fact that the pacing was so break-neck that i never really had a chance to stop and form any real theories. a lot of the mystery is put on the table for your for most of the book. but motives are where a lot of the big reveals come and that is something i found so fascinating and so interesting about the story.

overall, this was just a good time. i've been having a shit reading month in october so it was nice to read something that just kept me completely entertained. also, the audiobook was fantastic! i would super recommend this one to pretty much anyone because i think it really does tick a lot of boxes. and i will definitely read anything this author writes in the future. i may even go back and read he started it at some point!

This is quite a twisty tale told from multiple POV. Because of the multiple POV, we know for the most part who is doing what and who is involved in the deaths of the teachers, but we don't always know the why. Plus, there are a few other mysteries floating around such as where is Teddy's wife? Is she alive? Who is poisoning the students and staff?

This book is filled with many unlikable characters. I'm not sure too many of them had redeeming qualities. The school is filled with privileged students that don't usually want for anything, faculty that are former students, and helicopter parents. All except for Teddy who feels somewhat snubbed and feels like it is his place to teach the kids a lesson, especially the ones that he thinks are cheaters, whether they truly are or not. As I said, not many likable characters.

The story has a fast pace and engaged me from page one. I was curious how things were going to turn out and as some truths were revealed, it was quite a jaw-dropper for me. We may know the truth, but is it really the whole truth? The characters don't reveal everything at once, it is handed to us pieces at a time and just when you thought you might like a character, you are broadsided with another piece of evidence that could sway you the other way.

I have enjoyed this author's books and this one is no exception. If you are looking for a psychological thriller, you won't be disappointed.

We give this book 5 paws up.

If you like character driven suspense & unlikeable characters, this is for you. If you're looking for something fast paced and thrilling, maybe reach for something else. What I'll say is this: I've read far too many books about elite prep schools and this one finally does something different. No rinse, wash, repeat here.

I love everything by Samantha Downing! This book was different than her past reads, as it was set in a school rather than within families, but it did not disappoint. The thrills were nuanced and exciting!

For your own good was a thoroughly enjoyable thriller. I loved everything from the mordern dark academia vibes in a prestigious private school to the unlikable but well-written characters. Downing did a great job making the story move forward, but it was a bit of a slow burn at the same time with less mystery than your typical thriller. This worked for me, far more than Downing's first novel and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.